Dallas climbed in his truck and slammed the door. He turned the key and gunned the motor. Tyler was due to arrive soon. Since his brother had left his truck at the big house, Dallas had agreed to pick him up at the landing strip located on the far southeastern side of the ranch.
For the last month, Tyler had been flying in air shows across the Midwest. Crop dusting season was right around the corner, so it was time for him to come home. Tyler owned a lucrative business, combining his love for flying with his love of the land. Spraying crops was right up Tyler's alley. Lone Star Wings provided a good living for him and freed up time to fly in the air shows.
Dallas parked near one of the hangers that housed Tyler's planes. A small efficiency apartment had been built inside the largest hanger. Tyler divided his time on the ranch between the big house and the apartment. Whenever he entertained women friends, the apartment came in handy. Dallas had used it a couple of times himself.
He glanced at his watch, then scanned the northern skies, searching for his brother's plane. Sure enough, a dark speck was headed this way.
Maybe he would ask Tyler to go to Billie G's with him. His brother was always ready for a good time. They could invite Austin, too. Between overseeing the agricultural operation of the ranch and raising Kelsey, Austin didn't get out much. Yeah, they would take him with them.
It would be good to get out and have a few beers. Hell, even if he didn't get lucky, at least it would take his mind off Gillian for a few hours.
Tyler landed his plane after performing an elaborate aerial display. Dallas grinned at his youngest brother's antics and walked out to meet him. The black asphalt of the strip radiated heat from the afternoon sun.
Tyler jumped down from the cockpit and threw a brown duffel bag at his brother. "Good to see you. Thanks for picking me up."
Dallas threw the duffel back at him. "I don't mind playing chauffeur, but I'll be damned if I'll play the lackey."
Laughing, Tyler caught the bag and slapped his brother's shoulder. "Aw, Dallas, you're no fun. What's been happening since I've been gone? Ma doing okay?"
"She's fine. She's happy fussing over Jessie and dreaming about the new baby."
Tyler tossed his bag in the back of the truck and climbed in. "How's the drilling going? No oil yet, huh?"
Dallas started the engine and headed toward the house. "Not yet. They replaced the company representative."
"Yeah, Ma told me. With a woman. A single woman. Have you seen her? Is she a looker?" Tyler waggled his eyebrows at his brother.
Dallas gripped the steering wheel with tight fists. "Stay away from her, Ty." He didn't want his footloose, fancy-free brother anywhere near Gillian. Tyler had a reputation with the ladies. Dallas assured himself he wasn't jealous. Gillian wasn't Tyler's type, that was all.
"What's the matter?" Tyler asked. "You got dibs on the lady or what?"
"Yes . . . no . . . hell, I don't know. Just stay away from her." Dallas frowned at the road ahead of him.
Tyler whistled under his breath. "Well, this is something new. Now, I have to see the lady, if she's made you look twice."
Dallas let out a deep breath, trying for patience. "You can look. Just don't touch."
Tyler grabbed his chest in a theatrical gesture. "That's a low blow, brother. You know I wouldn't mooch on your territory."
Dallas shook his head and grinned. "Shut up, will you? Let's go see Austin before going to the house. He's working on the south farm, spraying the cotton. We'll pick him up and take him with us. Mom's frying chicken for supper. And I was thinking about going to Billie G's tonight. You up to it?"
"Sounds like a winner to me," Tyler said. "I'm always ready for a beer and the company of pretty women."
"Good. I thought Austin could go too."
"You think he'll want to come along?" Tyler looked skeptical.
"He may put up a fight. And he might not want to leave Kelsey. But Mom will watch her. We'll make him go."
Tyler chucked his brother's shoulder, then rubbed his hands together. "All right, then! Look out Billie G's, here come the McCades."
****
Later that evening, Dallas leaned against the bar at Billie G's after ordering two beers. He watched Tyler two-stepping around the dance floor with a buxom little redhead. His brother had lost no time in picking out the prettiest woman in the place and making a move on her. From the way she was smiling and laughing, Dallas figured Tyler wouldn't be spending tonight at the big ranch house.
Austin, on the other hand, sat in a corner booth, brooding over his empty bottle of beer, oblivious to the winks and nods some of the women were sending his way. It had taken a lot of persuasion before Austin had agreed to come along.
Dallas paid for the beers, grabbed the two longnecks and carefully made his way back to the table. "Drink up," he said to his brother when he reached the back booth. "There's more where these came from."
"Thanks," Austin said. "But this is my last one. Kelsey has a soccer tournament tomorrow and I don't want a hangover."
"Not a good mixture," Dallas agreed, taking a generous swallow of the cold beer.
"What's up with you? Drowning your sorrows?" Austin motioned at the empty longneck bottles lined up across the table.
"Something like that." Dallas glanced around the room, trying to find someone to dance with. He had come to Billie G's to have a good time, damn it. To get his mind off Gillian. Not sit around and get drunk. He searched the smoke-filled honky-tonk, but no one caught his eye.
The music stopped and Tyler and his dance partner returned to the table. He plopped down beside Dallas, dragging the redhead onto his lap. She laughed and squirmed, then hopped up.
"I'm going to the little girl's room," she said. "Order me a beer, will you, hon?" She blew a kiss his way.
"Sure thing. Hurry back." Tyler smiled, then looked at his brothers. "What's the matter with you two? You look like a couple of bumps on a log. Have you forgotten how to have fun? Find a girl. Dance. Enjoy yourselves." He shook his head in disgust as he walked toward the bar.
Dallas glanced at Austin. "He needs the crap beaten out of him."
Austin grinned. "Yeah. Now
that
would be fun and enjoyable."
Dallas shrugged. "Ma wouldn't like it much."
"No, she wouldn't like it at all." Austin took a swig of beer.
"You think we're too old to have fun?" Dallas asked.
Austin considered the matter and shook his head. "I'd say we're more particular in our tastes than Tyler. We've known most of these women our whole lives. We're more choosy. Yeah, that's it." He paused, then grinned. "Besides, he stole the only newcomer in the place."
"I like your logic." Dallas raised his bottle in a silent toast.
Tyler returned to the table and sat down. "Hey, I thought you were looking for a little action?" he said to Dallas, elbowing him in the ribs. "Not going to have any luck hiding back here in the corner."
Dallas frowned. "Changed my mind."
"You're still mooning over that new lady rep over at the oil rig, aren't you?"
Sometimes his youngest brother was a real pain. "I'm not mooning over anyone. Leave me alone."
Tyler whistled under his breath. "Look what just walked in the door. If I had to guess, there's your dream lady now.
Wowser.
I can see why she has your shorts in a tangle."
Dallas forced himself not to look toward the entrance. Even if it was Gillian, he wasn't going to make a fool of himself. Especially in front of his brothers.
Tyler's girl came back and sat on his lap. "Did you miss me?" She looped her arms around his neck.
"You betcha. How's about another dance, sweetheart? They're playing our song."
The redhead giggled as Tyler led her to the dance floor. He looked over his shoulder and winked at his brothers, then motioned toward the bar for Dallas to go after Gillian.
Dallas ignored him, frowning heavily over his longneck.
Austin eyed his brother curiously. "You got the hots for that woman from the rig?"
"Yeah. Pitiful, isn't it?"
"Oh, I don't know," he said. "Can't remember you being attracted, I mean
really
attracted to a woman, since Marilyn. Been a long time." Austin took a sip of beer. "Maybe Tyler's right. Maybe we have forgotten how to have fun."
"Both of us have had bad luck with women," Dallas said, glancing toward the bar where Gillian sat with Harold and another man from the rig. "Marilyn left me and Deborah's dead. I'd say that's enough sorrow for any two men. I don't need that kind of trouble again."
"Me neither. Tyler doesn't know what he's talking about." Austin studied the label on the longneck, turning the bottle around and around. "But you know something? It wouldn't hurt anything if you asked her to dance."
Dallas turned to stare at his brother. "You sure you're not drunk? Why would I want to do a fool thing like that? That's just asking for trouble, big time."
Austin shrugged. "Tyler got me to thinking, that's all. Might be nice to hold a pretty woman in your arms--one you haven't known for always."
"If you're so moved by Tyler's bull, why don't you ask her to dance yourself?"
"Maybe I will."
"Like hell, you will." First Tyler, now Austin. If any McCade was going to hold and touch Gillian, Dallas would the one to do it. Not his damned brothers.
Austin grinned as he took a drink of his beer.
Dallas shook his head. "You son of a bitch. You have no more notion to ask her to dance than I don't know what. You're worse than I am. At least, I've dated since my divorce. You haven't actually gone out with a woman since Deborah passed away. That's going on twelve years or more."
"Twelve years this August," he said, then shrugged. "It's different for me. Deb was my true love. Go ask the lady to dance. Don't let Marilyn ruin your life forever."
"I don't know." Dallas glanced toward Gillian again.
"You know you want to. Go for it."
"Damn it," he said. "She works on the drilling site. She's the enemy."
"So what? You're not asking her to marry you. Go dance with her." Austin finished his beer. "I'm going to shoot some pool." He rose from the booth and walked away.
Dallas looked toward the bar again. He caught Gillian staring at him. She quickly turned to Harold and said something. The older man nodded and led her to the dance floor.
Dallas cursed under his breath. Draining his beer, he stood abruptly and walked purposefully toward them.
CHAPTER FIVE
Gillian almost panicked when she saw Dallas McCade sitting in the corner booth with two men and a redhead. She wanted to turn around and go back to her trailer. But Harold had coerced her into coming to Billie G's, and it would be rude to abandon him. All she really wanted to do was crawl into bed and read a good book. But it was Friday night, Harold had said. The week had been long and hectic. They deserved a little fun. He had insisted.
So here she was. And so was Dallas.
Her eyes had zeroed in on him seconds after entering the honky-tonk. Through the crowded, smoky room, she saw the rugged cowboy with a scowl on his face as usual. Nevertheless, Gillian's heart thumped wildly. She hurried Harold and Ben to the bar to order drinks. Maybe Dallas wouldn't see her. Maybe he would leave soon.
She tried not to look toward the corner booth, yet couldn't help herself. He was like a magnet, drawing her attention, causing her heart to perform strange gyrations. She was vaguely aware of Harold and Ben conversing by her side. The other people in the honky-tonk seemed invisible.
The waiter at the bar set an ice-cold bottle of beer in front of her. Gillian wasn't much of a drinker, but she enjoyed an occasional beer now and then. Now was definitely one of those times. She drank deeply, letting the cold, biting brew slide down her throat.
She wouldn't think about the man across the room. She didn't want to get involved with him or anyone. She focused on the fact that he was rude and probably involved in the incidents at the rig. Taking another swallow of beer, Gillian pushed away the treacherous thoughts of the way his mouth had felt over hers, how she had responded to his touch that day in her office.
Harold's voice broke through her reverie. She surfaced from her deep reflections. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I said if you're going to sit there and pout because I practically forced you to come, then I'm sorry. Sorry I brought you. I thought we could use a break from work. We won't stay long, if you don't want to."
Gillian breathed deeply. Harold and Ben were her most diligent workers on the site. They deserved a little rest and relaxation. "I wasn't pouting. I was thinking." Glancing toward Dallas, she caught him staring at her. Her tummy turned over. Surely, he wouldn't approach her. Single her out. She made a quick decision.